Meter-record.



M. H. KANE.

METER RECORD.

APPLIGATION mum Mum, 1911.

1,02 1 ,3 1 7, I Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

Z nam'es: J52 11: W 9 92i UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL H. KANE, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

METER-RECORD.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7 Patented Mar, 26, 1912, Applicationfiled March 6, 1911.

Serial No. 612,547.

.ings for previous months, thus preventing the fictitious readings whichare returned by some employees, and preventing the changing of readingsto conceal errors; to provide a record for this purpose having very fewparts, all of a simple character and all of such a nature that thereadings made by the meter readers will not have to be copied, but canbe transferred bodily from their books to the oflice books in such a waythat the readings for several months can be caused to ap ear therein inregular order so that the di erences can be found in a very simple andconvenient manner.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will .appearhereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompany- :ing drawings in which- Figure1 is a perspective view of that part of an openmeter record which iskept inithe oflice arranged in accordance with this in vention, andshowing one leaf partly open to indicate the relation of the drfierentleaves-to each other, and Fig. 2 1s a slmilar 'view showing the part ofthe record which the meter reader uses in making his rounds.

Water, gas, electric light companies, and the like, using meters formeasuring the amount of sales to customers have had con siderabledifliculty in the pastowing to the fact that the .meter readerssometimes observe past readings and instead of going around and readingmeters, insert a number which will make the reading for the month aboutthe amount that they can estimate from the past readings. Anotherdifliculty r is :that when an error has been-made inreading;a:meter,-the meter reader will sometimes 1 notice it andpurposely make a wrong readmg the next tlme to avoid exposure. Thesethings cause complaints and much confu sion. Another diflicultyencountered in the present system, on account ofgthe meter; readerscarrying the books around with them, is that their books 'get very badlysoiled so that the readings are not readil legible when they get 'backto the office. Ii is necessary also to copy the entries, thus doublingthe clerical Work. This invention is made for the purpose of overcomingthese objections and improving the meter records in other ways as willappear hereinafter.

The meter record is shown as consisting of two parts A and B, both booksor loose leaf binders. The book A is designed to be kept at the ofliceand is shown as provided with a loose leaf connection A of any desiredcharacter. Secured in this book by the loose leaf mechanism are a numberof leaves C, each left or the rear page thereof having a column Cdesignated for containing the names and addresses of the customers andpreferably provided 'with additional columns as C and C with headings atthe top to indicate that in these columns are to be placed figures orother insignia indicating the size or number of meter or any otherdesired entries. These columns are divided by horizontal lines toprovide spaces for entries. On the front or right these sheets areblank.

In the book or holder B are shown loose leaf devices B on which arehelda series of leaves D each havinga column d and other columns (Z and(l and divided ofi' horizontally into spaces. The columns d, d and (Zcorrespond with the columnsO, C and C on the sheet C and have exactlythe same headings; also under these headings the same entries are madeso that each of these pages is an exact duplicate of one of the pages ofthe other book. The opposite pages preferably are blanks, but cancontain entries showing the meter reader where and ,how to findthemeters.

Adapted to be mounted adjacent to each left or front page by means ofthe detachoil" into spaces by horizontal lines on the same levels as thelines on the page at the left which separate theseveral entries.

When the meter reader is about to make his rounds for the month he isgiven a set of blank leaves E which are all stamped with the propermonth and inserted one opposite each left hand page D in his book. Themeter reader employs these leaves E in making his entries as he goesaround to inspect the different meters. When he returns to the oflice hetakes all these leaves E from his book and turns them over to the officewhere they are inserted in the proper position on the front sides of thesheets A as indicated in Fig. 1. For example, all the January leaves areplaced in the same position on the different sheets of the book A sothat the whole January index is complete, then the next month theFebruary sheets are placed next to them and so on, making columns on theright hand pages of the book A. It will be seen that these leaves Ehaving been placed in the book A for a number of months the office has acomplete record of the meter readings and they are all on sheets whichhave made the rounds only once and consequently have not been subjectedto as rough usage as is the case with the ordinary record book.Moreover, the only record of the past months reading is left at theoffice and the meter reader does not have it at hand so that he isentirely unable to estimate from past readings the amount of water, gasor electricity which has passed through the meter during the month, andconsequently he is obliged to read the meter in order to make hisreport.

In addition to the features of construction which have been described,each of the left hand pages C'is provided with a distinguishing numberor character, as for example, G and the corresponding left hand pages Dare distinguished in like manner. When the blank leaves E are placed inthe meter readers book, he places on each one the number or characterwhich appears on the adjacent page D, so the place of each one in thebook A can be found without difficulty. The manner in which these leavesmay be fastened on the sheets C can be varied within wide limits but aform of fastening H is shown which is now well known and is made bypunching out a tongue from the two sheets and interlocking it in a slitsimultaneously formed. After use it is not intended that these leaves Eshall be removed after having once been placed in position on the leaves0.

It will be seen that while this record involves the use of two books orloose leaf holders, the whole device is really a single record, as themeter reader uses simply a duplicate of the list of names contained onthe ofiice books and temporarily places the meter readings on leaveshaving a certain relationship thereto, which leaves are afterwardremoved and placed on the official record books at the office incorresponding relation to the said duplicate leaves. It will be seentherefore that the several parts constitute a complete record, each partof which would be without great utility if any one of the parts wereomitted. It is to be understood, however,-that the means for fasteningthe leaves E in the book A and the use of loose leaf devices areoptional. While loose leaf devices are necessary in the book B they canbe dispensed with "entirely in the book A, if desired.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of theinvention I am aware that many modifications can be made therein by anyperson skilled in the art without departing from the scope of myinvention as expressed in the claims. 'Therefore, I do not wish to belimited to all the details shown and described, but

What I do claim is 1. In a meter record or the like, the com bination oftwo sets of books or leaf holders, one of which has alternate right andleft hand pages, the left hand pages having columns, a vertical row ofhorizontal divisions designated at the top for containing a list ofnames or the like and the right hand pages having blank spaces oppositesaid list of names, each left hand page having a designating character,the other of which books has a plurality of leaves, the left hand facesof which are duplicates of said left hand pages in thefirst named bookand contain the same entries in the same order, and the I samedesignating character, and a plurality of removable leaves, each havinga date, a designating character the same as that of one of said leaves,and horizontal divisions corresponding in position with the divisions ofsaid duplicate pages adapted to be temporarily placed in-the secondbook, each having its horizontal divisions in registration wit-h thoseof one of said duplicate pages in order to receive entries and to betransferred from said book permanently to the blank space of the righthand page of the first named book, and when in each book constituting acolumn therein registering with the left hand page thereof, the leavesof the first named book having means for securing said temporary leavesover the blank pages thereof in a row arranged successively with respectto said dates.

2. In a meter record, the combination with a book or holder having aplurality of leaves, the pages on the left sides thereof when opened outhaving columns designated for containing a list of customers divided byhorizontal lines, a series of temporary removable leaves of column widthhaving horizontal lines, means for holding said temporary leaves withtheir horizontal lines corresponding in position with the horizon tallines on said pages, whereby entries of meter readings can be made onsaid temporary leaves corresponding with each of the entries on thefirst named leaves, and a second book or holder provided with aplurality of leaves having, left hand pages, each identical with a lefthand page of the first named book, the entries thereon being duplicatesof those of the left hand pages of the first named book or holder, andthe right hand pages being blank, and means for holding said temporaryleaves on the blank pages of the second book, with the horizontal linesin horizontal registration with the horizontal lines in the left handpages thereof.

8. In a record book, the combination with a book having a plurality ofleaves prosponding with each of the entries on the first named leaves,and a second book or holder provided with a plurality of leaves allalike, the left hand pages thereof being duplicates of the left handpages of the first named leaves in the first-named book or holder, meansfor holding said temporary leaves on the blank pages of the second bookwith the horizontal lines in horizontal registration with the horizontallines in the left hand pages thereof, each of the left hand pages ofboth books having a designating number or character thereon, those oneach page being the same as those on the duplicate page of the otherbook, and the same designating character being placed on each removableleaf while in the first named book, whereby its position in the secondbook will be fixed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

MICHAEL H. KANE.

WVitnesses ALBERT E. FAY, E. M. ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

